when to pot on tomatoes

[tiachica]

Hiya,

I have noticed the roots of my tomatoe babies are now growing out of the drain holes in their pots?
When do you think they are ready to be potted on once more and should that be the final size pots? How big should they be? 20cms?

When should they be getting their first taste of tomatorite?

I am planning on slowly bringing them out by mid-May or so. Does this sound ok?

Aaargh! soo many questions.

Thanks!
Franziska

[janeyo]

Hi I thought tomatoes should be potted on when the roots are growing out the bottoms. I normally pot on to the next size pot with the last pot going from 5 inch to a big one. I use whatever big pots I can find, terracotta, flower buckets or large plastic pots - not going out to the greenhouse now to measure one for you lol. Will look in the morning.

After last frost is fine to leave them outside, after hardening them off for week or so.

Think yours mght need to be a wee bit bigger before it's in it's final position?



I normally feed mine once the first fruits appear. But think some people feed when flowers appear. Someone else will tell you the right way!

[Alice]

Those tomatoes look fine where they are Tiachica but I don't know what size those pots are. If they are only 3" pots and the roots are at the bottom then move them on to 4 or 5 inch pots. That's a debate and up to you. Tomatoes come in to flower when their roots fill the pot (I think) so it's up to your own experience on what does better.
Once flowers start to appear then move them to their final size pot and as soon as you see the first baby tomato start feeding with tomato feed.
You can start puting them out when you like now - as long as you remeber they are not frost hardy and have to be whipped back in at night. I started putting mine out today - just for an hour in the middle of the afternoon. Oh my poor babies - clucking hen - not enough to worry about - over protective mother - you can heap the condemnation on - but my little beauties are back inside and looking great AND they've got little tomatoes on. Must be doing something right.

[adnin1@yahoo.com]

What should the final pot size be? Sorry for stupid question but first time growing.

[rana]

What should the final pot size be

Depends on variety but the cherry tomatos do well in flower buckets (about 10 Litres). I wouldn't go any smaller than that.

[onefivenine]

Help grapes! I'm a bit worried...

One of the leaves on a 100s and 1000s tomato has sort of wilted.



It's in a 3" pot I can even see roots growing near the surface.
Should I pot these on to 5" pots or can I just wait and put them in their final baskets in a couple of weeks?

Here's a tumbling tom which is about the same size.

[zazen999]

onefivenine

I'd pot that on, and just nip off the wilted leaf.

[onefivenine]

onefivenine

I'd pot that on, and just nip off the wilted leaf.

Thanks for the quick reply Andrea. That's a job for this morning then.

Cheers!

[markwcel]

roots will grow near the surface.... these are the feeding roots...the roots at the bottom are the watering roots....

[Flummery]

I pot on if I have to. I try to keep them growing in the same pot till planting out time though. I find they are less likely to get a check. This means timing the sowing carefully!